CHINA’S ONGOING MANUFACTURING SLOWDOWN LIKELY TO CONTINUE: HSBC

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July 1, 2013

HONG KONG - After adjusting for seasonal factors, the HSBC Purchasing Managers’ Index™ (PMI™) – a composite indicator designed to provide a single-figure snapshot of operating conditions in the manufacturing economy – has come in  at 48.2 in June, down from 49.2 in May, signalling a modest deterioration of business conditions. Operating conditions have now worsened for two successive months.

Chinese manufacturers signalled a first reduction of output for eight months in June. The rate of contraction was modest, and generally attributed to weaker client demand, as total new orders declined for the second month in a row. New business from abroad also fell in June, with the rate of contraction the fastest since last September, and the joint-sharpest in over four years. HSBC says anecdotal evidence suggested that reduced client demand, particularly from Europe and the US, led to fewer new export orders.